Hula Hoop Teen Party Brings Family Bonding

Published on July 28, 2017 at 11:09am

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Wrap to Hula Hoop Party

By Brittany Henderson Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) — Hula Hoops, a favorite past time, is now providing a new experience for Syracuse Refugees.

Parents from the Onondaga County White Branch Library Refugee Assistant program joined their children at the library’s Hula Hoop Party. The refugees were students of English Second Language teacher, Chyloe Frank. According to Frank, hula hooping sparked her students’ interest because it was something they had never heard of.

Library officials thought of the event as a fun way to bring attention to library resources and the summer learning program. The parents and their children were able to learn hula hoop moves, run in obstacle courses created with hula hoops, and participate in the limbo with Fitness Instructor Dawnmarie Raymond. Little did they know that it would become more than an eye catcher.

“We love to get parents involved with their children. The activity here at the library, with the hula hoops, is great because I have some of the mother’s with their children here and they’re having a great time,” said Frank. The library’s rooms rang with the sound of laughter as parents and their children hula hooped.

One of the children, Alex Kudakpa, saw the event as a bonding experience. “You could have fun with it with your friends and family,” said Kudakpa.

Outside of social bonding, the parents and their children got a cardio workout out of the experience. According to instructor Raymond hula hooping at a fast pace can bring a person’s heart rate up.

The hula hoop partying will continue at eleven other library locations throughout the summer.